


Conditional Approval

by OceanCandy (PaddlingDingo), PaddlingDingo



Series: The Spaces In Between [2]
Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:00:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24186265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaddlingDingo/pseuds/OceanCandy, https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaddlingDingo/pseuds/PaddlingDingo
Summary: Charlton applies to be a student at Brakebills, hoping to come to understand his dual nature as being from both Fillory and Earth. The time has come for him to have a conversation with Dean Fogg about his future and his potential to become a student. He doesn’t know what his place in the world is yet, but he wants to find out.(Takes place in the space between when the others left for new Fillory, and before Charlton puts on the amulet near the end of s5e13)
Relationships: Charlton & Henry Fogg, Eliot Waugh & Charlton
Series: The Spaces In Between [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1746043
Comments: 8
Kudos: 19





	Conditional Approval

Charlton sat in the waiting area outside Dean Fogg’s office, alternating between crossing his arms and clutching his hands together in his lap. He had no idea what to expect or what he’d be walking into. He hadn’t yet met Dean Fogg, although he knew a lot from the scattering of memories he retained from Eliot. 

Those memories had started to fade in spots. While Charlton sometimes missed the pieces of Eliot, he also felt relieved that he wouldn’t be carrying every accidental invasion of Eliot’s privacy for the rest of his life. The memories that Eliot had chosen to share with him remained, as well as a few others. He still knew Eliot with the same sort of instinct, but the details were becoming hazy. He’d done his best to avoid any memories that seemed sensitive, or that would have been private, but he hadn’t had a lot of options. 

Applying for Brakebills was a start to moving forward. Charlton had weighed his options, knowing that he’d be able to find magical help either at the school or with the Hedges. The issue had come down to the fact that he didn’t actually exist on Earth. He had no paperwork or anything else that he’d normally need to get by, to get a job, or a place to live. His options were getting back to Fillory and living there, or finding somewhere that he could potentially stay longer term that wouldn’t mind that his background was murky at best. Somewhere that he’d be able to explore why he couldn’t do the magic he knew before, and the magic that should be inherent to being in the body of a traveler and psychic. 

That had brought him to Brakebills, taking the initial written test, and now being called to Dean Fogg’s office. He had heard a lot about the Dean from others, too. Everyone he’d talked to agreed that the Dean was a good man, but that his approach could leave something to be desired at times. Eliot had said that while Fogg could be infuriating, he saw the potential in others, and his tough love approach was nothing compared to some of the professors. Penny pointed out that while Fogg lied to him to get him to sign an employment contract, he still managed to respect the man. Even Kady, removed from Brakebills for reasons that Charlton didn’t know, had told him how he’d saved her life.

The thought of meeting someone that so many people admired should have thrilled him, but instead, all he could remember were Penny’s words.

_Just remember that you look like Hyman. And he’s not gonna feel good about that, given that Brakebills tried to expel him once already._

Eliot had told him that he’d explained the situation to Fogg, but that didn’t reassure Charlton. He tapped his foot against the floor, restless.

The door to the office opened and a woman walked out, holding the door for him. “The dean will see you now.” 

Charlton stood, straightened his back to his full height, and ran his hand over his tie. He wasn’t used to wearing ties, and found them to be uncomfortable and somewhat useless. A bold scarf would have a more striking effect without feeling like he wouldn’t be able to breathe, but he’d extensively researched what to wear for an interview and decided to keep it as simple as possible.

Behind the desk sat Dean Fogg, in a sharp light brown suit. An orange cat filled his lap, his hand resting on it’s back. Fogg eyed him as he entered.

“Hello, sir, I’m Charlton.”

“Have a seat.” He lifted one hand and gestured towards a chair. “No offense, but it’s uncomfortable to look at you. You look like Hyman fucking Cooper.”

“Well, this is his body,” Charlton admitted. And it was, with all the weird ways it worked that were different than his own. Body memories of Hyman’s, certain foods that tasted good or bad, or certain smells bothered him. Hyman appeared to have an aversion to vinegar, for instance. And cheese. Hyman hadn’t seemed to like cheese, to the point where now the smell of it seemed off to Charlton, too. 

“Oh, I am quite aware of that.” The dean’s nose wrinkled. “You even smell like Hyman.”

Charlton started to open his mouth and than snapped it shut, not sure if he should point out that he took a shower that morning, or if it was best to simply not know what Dean Fogg was thinking. “I will endeavor to alter that situation as soon as I can.”

“I’m just fucking with you, Charlton, relax. What you smell like is whatever fancy shampoo they like to use over there in the Physical Kids’ Cottage.” The dean moved to fold his hands on his desk, then stiffened up and dropped a hand back down to rest on the orange cat in his lap. “I hope you’re not allergic to cats.”

“I don’t believe so?” He leaned in to look at the cat, who turned its head and made a sound that Charlton assuredly did not want to hear again. “What’s it doing?”

“He’s probably telling you to fuck off.” Fogg looked down and brushed at the fine orange hairs on his jacket. “And he sheds all over my suits. That is why I’m wearing this one, it hides the fur the best.”

Charlton felt a tickle in his nose and throat, feeling a sneeze come on. He covered his mouth with his arm as a series of explosive sneezes rocked him. Oh, he didn’t like that at all. 

“So you’ve picked up Hyman’s allergies. Pity, has anyone warned you about mushrooms?” Fogg reached over and picked up a folder, pulling it towards him. “I have your file here.” He flicked it open and it had a few pieces of paper in it. Charlton’s application to Brakebills, and another sheet which he assumed was his test results. “Such as it is.” His eyes slid from the papers back to Charlton’s face and frowned. “Sorry, seeing Hyman’s face is throwing me off. But I’m a professional, so we will continue with this interview. So, you’d like to be a student at Brakebills.”

Charlton nodded. “Yes sir.”

“Can you tell me why you’d want to give up an otherwise normal life to do magic?”

Charlton had thought about this a lot in the time before submitting the application and in the time leading up to this interview. “I don’t have an otherwise normal life.”

“And why is that?” Fogg asked. “In your words.”

There it was. He’d practiced what he’d say to this question, over and over, and now that he was faced with this sort of question, he didn’t know how to explain. “I’m over a thousand years old, most of which I have spent living in the back corner of my own mind while an unspeakable evil had control over my body.” 

“One that cost the lives of many people,” Fogg pointed out. “How do I have any assurance that you carry no part of that with you to Brakebills?”

The thought of losing Quentin caused a pit to form in Charlton’s stomach. Eliot smiled more these days, but the wounds in his heart would still take time to heal. “You can have a psychic test me.”

“Do you have anything to hide?”

Charlton thought of all the memories he had of Eliot’s, all the things that he wouldn’t want anyone to see. Those things that Eliot had shared with him of his own choice, but also the ones that he’d seen without meaning to. Those memories had to remain hidden. “I do. You’re aware of my circumstances in getting here?”

“I have Eliot’s version, but again, please tell me in your own words,” Fogg affirmed.

“Okay.” Charlton took a deep breath. “I was born in Fillory. I ended up possessed by the Nameless Monster, and trapped in a castle for over a thousand years. I don’t remember most of that, as I spent my time hiding in the one place in my mind that it would not notice me. That was the only way to ensure that it couldn’t destroy me from the inside.”

“Are you aware of the amount of self control and discipline it takes to wall up part of your mind, especially for that long?”

“I am not.” He’d never thought of it as self control so much as a necessary survival instinct. “Is that not normal?”

“While we don’t have a lot of basis for comparison, I’d say no.” Fogg tapped his fingers on his desk. “If you could hide form the monster, you could hide from a psychic. We could work around that, but the risk is high. We can table that for now. Continue.”

Charlton nodded, folding his hands in his lap and trying not to fidget. “When the monster took over Eliot, I remained in a corner of the monster’s mind. Eliot and I were able to interact, and I helped him find a way to get a message through to Quentin and the others. After they knew Eliot was still alive…” He didn’t want to talk about that, about Quentin’s death banishing the monster to the Seam, because it was too tied up in Eliot’s anguish which Charlton knew too acutely. 

“We don’t need to discuss that,” Fogg said, nodding. “I understand how hard it was on everyone.”

“Thank you.” Charlton sighed, relieved that he wouldn’t have to explain any further. “After that, I found myself stuck in Eliot’s mind, but not as trapped. I couldn’t interact with Eliot, but I could see his memories. I tried to stay out of them as much as I could and stay in my own space I’d built for myself, but a lot started happening.”

“As it does with that lot. You found the most troublesome group of magicians this school has had in decades. It’s expected.” Fogg’s hand stroked the cat, who glared at Charlton with narrowed eyes. “When did Eliot become aware of your presence?”

This would only get more complicated to explain. “During the moon crisis. I made myself known until Eliot realized something was going on, and let me out.”

“A time loop I got to miss, at fucking last. My understanding from Eliot is that your assistance was invaluable in avoiding the destruction of the moon, the entire planet, and life as we know it. Is that correct?”

Charlton blinked, a feeling of pride filling him. “I wouldn’t say invaluable. But I am a good collaborator.”

“I’d say you’re more than good, from the details that Eliot has given me.” He gestured. “So how did you become Hyman? I know that his body was preserved in the Physical Kids Cottage, but I’d think he would have been happy to have it back. Except that I would have made him regret his entire existence.”

“He was… not happy.” Charlton winced at Hyman’s comments that Eliot had dubbed ‘too much information’. “He spent more time without a body than with one, and found that it wasn’t working out for him. He agreed to pass the body onto me, so that I could travel and-“ He bit the rest of the sentence off, realizing that he didn’t know how much Fogg knew.

“Rescue Margo from Fillory,” Fogg finished. “That much, I’m aware of. But you were unable to travel.”

Charlton nodded, a feeling of guilt filling him. He remembered the devastated look on Eliot’s face when he and Josh had emerged from the clock. When he’d been in Eliot’s head, it seemed easier to help, to comfort. The dynamics of having a body, and not looking familiar to Eliot, had made it hard. He’d wanted to hug him but he’d had to suffice with hand on his back while sitting next to him on the couch. “I’ve shown no magical ability since having a body again. I studied magic and could cast before, when I was in Fillory, but casting is Fillory feels different. The flow of magic there is different.”

“What kind of magic?”

“Minor illusions, and the study of mechanics of magic.” Charlton held up his hands. “Casting is just different now. The circumstances don’t align.”

“You are effectively two magicians,” Fogg observed. “One in mind and one in body. That’s enough to throw the circumstances off in anyone, but you’re also in a different world, where magic is all fucked up anyway.” He sighed, then reached out and tapped the folder in front of him. “You might be a first, which means you’ll need a lot of support.” He shuffled the papers to put the results on top. “You scored quite high on the written test, which is a good sign. However, you failed the practical magic test. No doubt because you’re having trouble casting.”

Charlton sighed, biting at his lip. “Does that disqualify me?”

“It would, yes. But I’d like to retest you after you’ve had some time to adjust. And I won’t be able to start you in classes until the fall or winter. The staff is still adjusting to the moon. Although that could have been worse.”

“It was worse,” Charlton offered. “We watched the moon destroy the earth more times than I could count.”

“Then maybe going crazy was not a bad trade off, for missing that.” Fogg nodded and closed the folder. “Your final admission is conditional on you passing the practical test. That should give you several months. We’ll start you with someone to work one on one with to try to get you started.”

Charlton blinked, letting that sink in. “Thank you, sir,” he managed. “I’ll do my best to not disappoint.”

“As long as I don’t find out that you’re spying on the girls’ locker room, I think you’ll be fine.” 

Reaching up, Charlton ran his hands over his face, which didn’t feel like his face at all. He missed his own face, his own body, but he missed having any sort of body even more. “I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about that.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Fogg closed the folder and pushed it aside, pulling another one to him. “Administration will help you finalize the arrangements, including your housing. We don’t normally allow non students to live on campus, but you’re a special case. We’ll get you set up with a job on campus to offset you living here. If that sounds reasonable, check in with them tomorrow.”

“That’s more than reasonable.” Charlton smiled, feeling better. He could never go home, but maybe he’d find a home here. “Thank you, Dean Fogg. You won’t regret it.”

“Welcome to Brakebills, Charlton.” Fogg gestured for him to leave, and Charlton got up out of the chair to leave the office. 

Once he made it through the door, he leaned against the wall, realizing his hands were still shaking. It was a conditional entry, but it was a chance. To find magic again, and to find a place. 

He looked up as someone approached, and he saw it was Eliot. There was something about seeing Eliot from the outside, with actual eyes. Details of Eliot’s walk, of the way he moved, of his portioned smiles in the moments in between. The way that something ached in Charlton when he looked at Eliot. He told himself this was just the result of them being so close together. But Charlton wasn’t sure if that’s all it was, at least on his part. He cared about Eliot; he cared about him more than he should, but he didn’t know how to not care about him.

There’d been so little to smile about for a while, and Eliot’s small smile as he approached prompted Charlton to smile back. 

“Charlton,” Eliot greeted, stopping in front of him. Charlton didn’t know how Eliot could make any color look good; today he wore a dark orange button up shirt and a black vest. “How did the meeting go?”

Charlton drew a breath, considering a joking response but decided that Eliot probably had enough on his plate without Charlton throwing that out there. “I’ve been accepted, conditional on passing the practical exam.”

“I think congratulations are in order. I’ll make drinks.” Eliot put a hand on his shoulder. “How much shit did he give you?”

Charlton winced. “Enough, but not so bad under the circumstances.”

“Excellent. I’m up next, so I hope you’ve left him in a good mood. If not, drinks are off.” Eliot regarded Charlton for a moment, then pulled him into a hug. Eliot felt warm, his arms strong, and Charlton returned the quick hug. “Good job. I’ll see you back at the cottage later. By then I’ll know what the dean wants with me.” Eliot rolled his eyes as he let go of Charlton and stepped back.

“You’ve already graduated so there’s only so much he can do,” Charlton pointed out. 

“That doesn’t mean he can’t make my life difficult, I still live here for now.” He looked at Charlton’s tie and tapped at it. “Not so bad, is it?”

Working his fingers under it, Charlton loosened the tie. He’d happily go the rest of his life without another one of these, but this likely wasn’t the last he’d see of the dreaded tie. “I survived it trying to strangle me.”

“It gets easier.” Eliot looked from Charlton to the door to the dean’s office, then “Let’s see how much Henry can complicate my life today.”

“Well, there’s always drinks.” Charlton smiled, oddly aware that his smile was not his own. It still didn’t feel right, the way his mouth moved. Or how he was the same height as Eliot, when he felt like in reality he should be just a little shorter. He’d have to adjust, though, because this was his new normal for the foreseeable future. 

“Thank fuck for _that_ ,” Eliot said, and left to go into Dean Fogg’s office. With that, Charlton headed back to the Physical Kids’ Cottage, to think on what he wanted out of the next few months. If nothing else, he had a lot of reading to catch up on, after having read the same few books for over a thousand years, and only patchy at that. 

Now he had a whole world of knowledge ahead of him, and he looked forward to exploring it. 

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to explore a little more of what might be next for Charlton; there’s a whole gap of time that we didn’t get to find out about, so I’ve been thinking a lot about that in-between time while Charlton still looks like Hyman and is trying to feel things out. I’ve got more I’m working on, so please let me know if you enjoyed! You can also find me on twitter as oceancandy_ or tumblr as Fillorian-candy ! :D I love Charlton and I just want good things for him.


End file.
